What is Jainism

WHAT IS SECT?
To Create a Class which accepts appropriate ethics-thoughts out of multiple views-principles of religion considering the several views as main principle is called Sect.

WHAT IS SWETAMBER?
Wearing Swet (White) clothes lifetime and meditate to achieve an ultimate goal is called Swetamber.

WHAT IS DIGAMBER?
Clothes hindrance to acquire the Kevalgnan and hence to become cloth less and to meditate to achieve the last goal is called Digamber.

Jina and the Soul

Jainism - The 'Jains' are the followers of the Jinas. 'Jina' literally means 'Conqueror.' He who has conquered love and hate, pleasure and pain, attachment and aversion, and has thereby freed `his' soul from the karmas obscuring knowledge, perception, truth, and ability, is a Jina. The Jains refer to the Jina as God. Know more about Jainism.

Origins of Jainism

Originating on the Indian subcontinent, Jainism -- or, more properly, the Jain Religion ( Dharma ) -- is one of the oldest religions of its homeland and indeed of the world. Jainism has prehistoric origins dating before 3000 BC, and before the beginning of Indo-Aryan culture.

Jain religion is unique in that, during its existence of over 5000 years, it has never compromised on the concept of nonviolence either in principle or practice. Jainism upholds nonviolence as the supreme religion (Ahimsa Paramo Dharmah) and has insisted upon its observance in thought, word, and deed at the individual as well as social levels. The holy text Tattvartha Sutra sums it up in the phrase 'Parasparopagraho Jivanam' (all life is mutually supportive). Jain religion presents a truly enlightened perspective of equality of souls, irrespective of differing physical forms, ranging from human beings to animals and microscopic living organisms. Humans, alone among living beings, are endowed with all the six senses of seeing, hearing, tasting smelling, touching, and thinking; thus humans are expected to act responsibly towards all life by being compassionate, egoless, fearless, forgiving, and rational.

The Jain Code of Conduct

In short, the code of conduct is made up of the following five vows, and all of their logical conclusions: Ahimsa, Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (non-stealing), Aparigraha (non-possessiveness), and Brahmacharya (chastity). Jain religion focuses much attention on Aparigraha, non-possessiveness towards material things through self-control, self-imposed penance, abstinence from over-indulgence, voluntary curtailment of one's needs, and the consequent subsiding of the aggressive urge.

Vegetarianism

Vegetarianism is a way of life for a Jain, taking its origin in the concept of compassion for living beings, Jiva Daya. The practice of vegetarianism is seen as an instrument for the practice of nonviolence and peaceful, cooperative coexistence. Jains are strict vegetarians, consuming only one-sensed beings, primarily from the plant kingdom. While the Jain diet does, of course, involve harm to plants, it is regarded as a means of survival which involves the bare minimum amount of violence towards living beings. ( Many forms of plant material, including roots and certain fruits, are also excluded from the Jain diet due to the greater number of living beings they contain owing to the environment in which they develop.)

Jainism Beliefs and Practices
The universe exists as a series of layers, both heavens and hells. It had no beginning and will have no ending.

It consists of:

The supreme abode: This is located at the top of the universe and is where Siddha, the liberated souls, live.

The upper world: 30 heavens where celestial beings live.

Middle world: the earth and the rest of the universe.

Nether world: 7 hells with various levels of misery and punishments
The Nigoda, or base: where the lowest forms of life reside
Universe space: layers of clouds which surround the upper world
Space beyond: an infinite volume without soul, matter, time, medium of motion or medium of rest.
Everyone is bound within the universe by one's karma (the accumulated good and evil that one has done).

Moksha (liberation from an endless succession of lives through reincarnation) is achieved by enlightenment, which can be attained only through asceticism.

They are expected to follow five principles of living:

Ahimsa : 'non violence in all parts of a person -- mental, verbal and physical.' 3 Committing an act of violence against a human, animal, or even vegetable generates negative karma which in turn adversely affects one's next life.

Satya : speaking truth; avoiding falsehood

Asteya : to not steal from others

Brahma-charya : (soul conduct); remaining sexually monogamous to one's spouse only

Aparigraha : detach from people, places and material things. Avoiding the collection of excessive material possessions, abstaining from over-indulgence, restricting one's needs, etc.

They follow Jains follow a vegetarian diet. (At least one information source incorrectly states that they follow a frutarian diet -- the practice of only eating that which will not kill the plant or animal from which it is taken. e.g. milk, fruit, nuts.)
They read their sacred texts daily.
Jains are recommended to pass through four stages during their lifetime:
Brahmacharya-ashrama: the life of a student
Gruhasth-ashrama: family life
Vanaprasth-ashrama: family and social services
Sanyast-ashrama: life as a monk; a period of renunciation

Prayer of - Jain religion:
Every day Jain's bow their heads and say their universal prayer, the Navkar-mantra. All good work and events start with this prayer of salutation and worship.

Namaskar Mantra

• Namo Arihantanam: - I bow to the arithantas - the ever-perfect spiritual victors
• Namo Siddhanam: - I bow to the siddhas - the liberated souls
• Namo Ayariyanam: - I bow to acharyas - the leaders of the jain order
• Namo Uvajjayanam: - I bow to upadhyayas - the learned preceptors
• Namo Loe Savva Sahunam: - I bow to all saints and sages everywhere in the world
• Eso Panch Namukkaro: - These five obeisances
• Savva PavapPanasano: - Erase all Sins
• Mangalancha Savvesin : - Amongst all that is auspicious
• Padhamam Havai Mangalam: - This is the foremost

In the above prayer, Jains do not ask for any favors or material benefits from their Gods, the Tirthankaras or from monks and nuns. They do not pray to a specific Tirthankara or monk by name. By saluting them, Jains receive the inspiration from the five benevolent for the right path of true happiness and total freedom from the misery of life.

Jain Philosophy

Jain philosophy can be described in various ways, but the most acceptable tradition is to describe it in terms of Tattvas or fundamentals. They are:

Jiva (soul): All living beings are called Jivas. Jivas have consciousness known as the soul, which is also called the atma (soul - chetan). The soul and body are two different entities. The soul can not be reproduced. It is described as a sort of energy which is indestructible, invisible, and shapeless. Jainism divides jivas into five categories ranging from one-sensed beings to five-sensed beings. The body is merely a home for the soul. At the time of death, the soul leaves the body to occupy a new one. Tirthankaras have said that the soul has an infinite capacity to know and perceive. This capacity of the soul is not experienced in its present state, because of accumulated karmas.

Ajiva (non-living matter): Anything that is not a soul is called ajiva. Ajiva does not have consciousness. Jainism divides ajiva in five broad categories: dharmastikay (medium of motion), adharmastikay (medium of rest), akashastikay (space), pudgalastikay (matter), and kala (time).

Punya (results of good deeds): By undertaking these wholesome activities, we acquire punya or good karmas. Such activities are: providing food or other items to the needy people, doing charity work, propagating religion, etc. When punya matures, it brings forth worldly comfort and happiness. Digambar consider "Punya" as part of Asrava.

Pap (results of bad deeds): By undertaking bad activities, we acquire pap or bad karmas. Such activities are: being cruel or violent, showing disrespect to parents or teachers, being angry or greedy and showing arrogance or indulging in deceit. When pap matures, it brings forth worldly suffering, misery, and unhappiness. Digambar consider "Pap" as part of Asrava.

Asrava (influx of karmas): The influx of karman particles to the soul is known as asrav. It is caused by wrong belief, vowlessness (observing no vows), passions, negligence, and psychophysical activities. Such an influx of karmas is facilitated by mental, verbal, or physical activities.

Bandh (bondage of karmas): This refers to the actual binding of karman particles to the soul. Bandh occurs, when we react to any situation with a sense of attachment or aversion.

Samvar (stoppage of karmas): This is the process by which the influx of karman particles is stopped. This is achieved by observing samiti (carefulness), gupti (control), ten fold yati-dharma (monkshood), contemplating the twelve bhavanas (mental reflections), and parishaha (suffering).

Nirjara (eradication of karmas): The process by which we shed off karmas is called nirjara. Karmas can be shed off either by passive or active efforts. When we passively wait for karmas to mature and give their results in due time, it is called Akam Nirjara. On the other hand, if we put active efforts for karmas to mature earlier than due time, it is called Sakam Nirjara. Sakam Nirjara can be achieved by performing penance, repentance, asking for forgiveness for the discomfort or injury we might have caused to someone, meditation, etc.

Moksha (liberation): When we get rid of all the karmas, we attain liberation or moksha.

Let us use a simple analogy to illustrate these Tattvas. There lived a family in a farm house. They were enjoying the fresh cool breeze coming through the open doors and windows. The weather suddenly changed, and a terrible dust storm set in. Realizing it was a bad storm, they got up to close the doors and windows. By the time they could close all the doors and windows, much dust had entered the house. After closing all of the doors and windows, they started cleaning away the dust that had come into the house.

We can interpret this simple illustration in terms of Nav-Tattvas as follows:

• Jivas are represented by the people.

• Ajiva is represented by the house.

• Punya is represented by worldly enjoyment resulting from the nice cool breeze.

• Pap is represented by worldly discomfort resulting from the sand storm, which brought dust into the house.

• Asrava is represented by the influx of dust through the doors and windows of the house which is similar to the influx of karman particles to the soul.

• Bandh is represented by the accumulation of dust in the house, which is similar to bondage of karman particles to the soul.

• Samvar is represented by the closing of the doors and windows to stop the dust from coming into the house, which is similar to the stoppage of influx of karman particles to the soul.

• Nirjara is represented by the cleaning up of accumulated dust from the house, which is similar to shedding off accumulated karmic particles from the soul.

• Moksha is represented by the clean house, which is similar to the shedding of all karmic particles from the soul.